Change strikes bum note with ukulele band
Early closing at the Upper Hutt library is threatening the future of the venue’s Ukulele Band.
New library hours, on a 10-week trial untill later this month, ended the long standing 7pm weekday closure.
A change to 6.30pm is making it impossible for the music group to practise, band member Pat Woolley said.
Woolley and Louise Cleghorn, another ukulele player, have taken their problem to the top, speaking at a council meeting .
Woolley asked for a late night to be reinstated.
‘‘This is not just for the band but also for the public of Upper Hutt,’’ she said.
The band, which has been going for five years and regularly plays community concerts, has a diverse, all-age membership.
‘‘We all have different reasons for joining, from needing companionship, to wanting to belong to a group and, of course, music,’’ she said.
‘‘Our members are all at different levels of proficiency. We need our advanced members to help carry the less proficient.’’
However most work in Wellington or Lower Hutt and cannot get to the library until about after 6pm.
‘‘Last week one of our advanced members arrived and it was too late for her to even unpack her ukulele,’’ Woolley said. ‘‘We hope we will not disband but it is a possibility if we don’t have enough advanced players helping.’’
The changed hours were also an inconvenience to regular library users, she said.
‘‘For a city with a population of about 42,000 it is amazing the Upper Hutt library doesn’t have at least one late night a week.
‘‘I appeal to you to consider at least one late night if the previous hours are not going to be resumed,’’ she said.
‘‘I know we’ve been told it’s a trial, but as we all know trials have a habit of becoming permanent, especially if people don’t complain to the right people,’’ Woolley said.
City community services director Mike Ryan said public feedback on the trial would be important to a final decision.
‘‘I’m of the view we need at least one, if not more late nights, where we go to seven or even later.’’
The trial changed hours at the city and Pinehaven branch libraries. ‘‘It is a trial and we were trying to do it in the current budget,’’ Ryan said.